The New England Patriots have already secured a playoff spot and a home game in the postseason. However, they could claim the top seed in the AFC by the end of Week 18.

There are essentially only two games that matter for the Patriots to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. First, the Patriots have to win their game against the Miami Dolphins. Second, the Denver Broncos need to lose to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Both games kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET. However, the Chargers are not starting Justin Herbert and potentially other key players who need...

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges, according to legal filings.

Court documents show the criminal charges resulted from an incident on Tuesday, Dec. 2, the day after the Patriots Monday Night Football win over the New York Giants prior to the team’s bye week.

Details of the allegations were not shared in court, where Diggs’ attorneys appeared on Tuesday.

Diggs’s arraignment is now schedule for Friday, Jan. 23, two days before the scheduled date of the AFC Championship game.

The Patriots released the following statement:...

New England Patriots star wideout Stefon Diggs is facing a felony criminal charge as a result of an alleged Dec. 2 incident, Boston 25 reported Tuesday.

It’s a stunning development, and as of now, details are few. Boston 25 reported that Diggs is facing a felony strangulation or suffocation charge, as well as a misdemeanor assault and battery charge. Dec. 2 was the Tuesday after the Patriots thumped the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Fri, Jan. 23, which would be just days before the AFC Championship Game should the Patriots make...

The New England Patriots are back.

After three straight years of losing records and missing the playoffs, the Patriots are back to being one of the best teams in the NFL. They’re tied for the league’s top record at 13-3 and just clinched their first AFC East title since 2019.

Led by new head coach Mike Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye, New England has completely turned things around after back-to-back 4-13 seasons. Maye is only 23 years old, but the Patriots look like legit Super Bowl contenders and could be on the brink of another dynasty.

On [Monday’s episode...

With their Week 17 rout of the New York Jets, the New England Patriots completed an 8-0 regular season on the road for just the third time in franchise history.

In his first year at the helm in New England, Mike Vrabel also joined a very exclusive club of head coaches to go undefeated on the road in their debut campaign with a team.

“Mike Vrabel joins George Seifert (’89/49ers) as lone 1st-year coaches undefeated on road,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote on Bluesky.

Vrabel is one of the frontrunners for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award but faces [plenty...

The modern era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class 2026 have been announced, and among the 15 men is former New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri. For a second straight year, Vinatieri is one hurdle away from the game’s biggest individual honor.

An undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State in 1996, Vinatieri spent the first 10 of his 24 NFL seasons in New England and became an integral part of the team’s early dynasty. He kicked game-winning field goals in the team’s first two Super Bowls and later added two more rings to his collection,...

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford have been the two NFL MVP frontrunners for much of the season, often flipping their odds based on which star QB had the better most recent performance.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, Maye pulled ahead after the best game of his career thus far. He threw five touchdown passes as the Patriots routed the New York Jets in Week 17, while Stafford was shaky during the Rams’ surprising upset loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football.

While their overall stats are...

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t sure if Mack Hollins will be able to return this season.

Hollins has been an impact receiver for the Patriots, but ahead of Week 17, he was placed on injured reserve due to an abdominal injury. Due to Hollins being placed on injured reserve, the soonest he can come back is the AFC Championship Game, even if the Patriots get a bye.

However, speaking to reporters on Monday, Vrabel wasn’t sure if Hollins would return this season.

“Again, we won’t be able to see him for another three weeks,” Vrabel said on...

TEAM TALK

• Evan Lazar’s After Further Review: Breaking down Drake Maye and quick-hit film notes from Sunday’s win. ‘The Patriots have the foundation in place of coaching and quarterback play to “take advantage of bad football” for the foreseeable future.’
• Roster Moves: Patriots release two players, CB Miles Battle and OL Brenden Jaimes.
• Transcript: Mike Vrabel. (Plus 12 min. video)
• Press Conferences: Vederian Lowe and K’Lavon Chaisson.
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye.
• Building the Patriots Identity – Goal One: Win the AFC East. (1 min. video)
• Photos: Patriots [celebrate AFC...

Stefon Diggs has been worth every penny for the Patriots, but how many pennies will New England ultimately pay the star receiver this season?

Well, that remains to be seen, as Diggs could earn himself extra money this Sunday when the Patriots host the Miami Dolphins.

Diggs needs just 30 yards on Sunday to reach 1,000 for the season, a mark that would lock in a $500,000 contract incentive, according to Spotrac. The veteran wideout earned $500,000 last week when he eclipsed the 80-catch mark in New England’s blowout road win over the New York Jets.

Through the first 17...

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP in just his second year in the league.

As such, fans would probably like to see his role blocking in the run game diminish. However, the first-year captain is beginning to make a habit of throwing a block.

The quarterback told the “WEEI Afternoons” crew in a previous radio spot that he was not proud of his blocking efforts.

He was asked the same question on Monday, and Maye did his best to calm the nerves of anxious fans.

“Yeah, I don’t know what do...

With the Buffalo Bills’ one-point loss on Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles, the New England Patriots were crowned the champions of the AFC East.

This snapped a franchise record of five consecutive division championships for Buffalo.

With this streak snapped, the Bills became owners of a new NFL record.

The Bills became the first team in NFL history to win five or more consecutive division titles and not make a Super Bowl appearance during their run.

There are only five other franchises in the Super Bowl era to have ever won their division five or more years in a row....